Tuesday 19 December 2017

At Golborne we are lucky to plan weddings in some of the most iconic spaces within London as well as in couples’ homes and gardens. We love nothing more than discovering new spaces and planning special days within them. It’s safe to say that we have fallen in love with the spaces available for weddings at the Wallace Collection and here’s why.

An elegant venue

Our couples marrying in London do so because they love the tradition of the city. They love the romance of the capital and the amazing spaces on offer. We find that so many couples love the mix of modern and traditional at the Wallace Collection which is exactly why we love it too. The building has breathtaking traditional spaces. We promise you that the pictures just don’t do these justice. You have to be there, to breathe it all in and marvel at the details. As you make your way up the grand staircase to enjoy drinks and canapes within the sumptuous Drawing Room Suite, you can’t help but be wowed to be experiencing such luxury. The venue feels incredibly special. It’s so exciting that behind the grand pillared entrance lies such an exquisite venue.

For those couples who adore tradition but also like a clean and modern feel to their day we love to watch jaws drop as we guide people into the Courtyard. The former sculpture garden of the Hertford family is fully glazed to allow for celebrations all year round. It is wedding perfect with its pale nude hues and overwhelming elegance. For us it almost feels as if we are in the Louvre in Paris after just being in an English palace. What could be more romantic?

Your day

Our Wallace Collection weddings start at 6.30pm however do not fear if you would like a longer day. We can arrange ceremonies in the church behind the venue. Additionally we can plan a ceremony at an elegant London Hotel such as the Langham, just a stone’s throw away. We’re also planning a summer celebration where guests are having an afternoon tea in Manchester Gardens just opposite the venue. Therefore the outdoor garden wedding is still an option at this venue. If a symbolic ceremony within the venue is preferred, we would suggest the Great Gallery. This room can host a blessing for up to 140 guests surrounded by incredible artwork in gold gilt frames.

We then set dinner in the Courtyard, in all its grandeur. The space is so flexible and we feel we can create any dream here. It’s a blank canvas whilst still having huge amounts of personality, the perfect setting. The space is perfect for dancing, and if you’d prefer an intimate dinner in the galleries followed by a party for up to 250, you can dance the night away under the stars until midnight (or 1am with an additional license).

We pinch ourselves every time we think about planning weddings at the Wallace Collection. The venue is truly incredible and the weddings hosted within it have such an amazing feel to them. To party in a venue so grand, elegant and special yet intimate is unique. We can’t wait to be back.

If you’d like us to arrange a viewing of this wonderful space and to hear how we can create your special day here, please get in touch. Consultations with our wedding planners can be arranged, please call us on 0207 228 6933.

Friday 08 December 2017

At Golborne we see our role as luxury wedding planners as advisors, guiders and that calm, wise word in a whirlwind of decision making. Weddings are a busy time for most people. All of a sudden a hundred decisions need to be made, often many charged with emotion. For most couples it is also the largest spend you’ll make, other than a house. Therefore, these decisions really are very important. We see our role, as wedding planner, as one of honour. We are brought into a family, get to know a couple and everything they love (and dislike!) and we design with them, their most special day. Aside from the fun, we work closely with our couples to design days that work for their budgets and achieve maximum impact. In addition, we know what works, what people will notice and how to create the ‘wow’ moment.

Our suppliers are our little black book, our extended team of designers, inventors and creators. We therefore look to them to provide us with additional expertise and together we create perfect moments. At weddings, flowers are so important. We love the difference they make, how they can change the feel of a venue and create a style simply by being there. We also enjoy that you can weave this look through your day, starting with your buttonholes, the arrival of the bouquets and the grandeur of the table displays.

WILDWOOD LONDON

We talk to Charlotte at Wildwood London, a fellow supplier at the wedding venue we manage, Amber Lakes, about some of her favourite floral moments over the last year. Charlotte started Wild Wood London in 2014 and loves to create luxurious designs with a slightly whimsical wild element. She often guides her clients on the availability of flowers and adores watching the seasons change and her favourite flowers reappearing during the year.

SPRING: A COUNTRY GARDEN IN BLOOM

We created this spring bridal bouquet for our bride Bevin. It consisted of rananculus, astrantia, avalanche roses, sweetpeas, lily of the valley, green bell thlaspi. We finished the bouquet with beautiful grosgrain ribbon from VV Rouleaux. The sweetpeas and lily of the valley created the most gorgeous aroma. Furthermore, the bouquet felt romantic and structured with a wild thread but a soft twist.

SUMMER: A TOUCH OF DETAIL

I absolutely adore peonies and they start to become available at the end of April. At the start of the season they are super expensive. The price falls slightly in June but they are still a premium wedding flower. They are available until July. Our Wild Wood bride Olivia requested muted tones for her bridal bouquet which consisted of peonies, champagne roses, pale blue delphiniums and astrantia. The bouquet was finished with twine to complement the rustic feel of Olivia’s chosen reception venue Petersham Nurseries. The peonies added a touch of drama and complimented the details in Olivia’s dress whilst the delphiniums added her ‘something blue’.

SUMMER: A SPLASH OF COLOUR

Colourful wedding flowers have been proving popular in recent years. Our Wild Wood Bride Aimee’s reception venue was held at the beautiful Chelsea Psychic Garden. Aimee wanted the flowers to enhance and complement the garden. Therefore the bridal bouquet and centrepieces included Delphiniums, peonies, roses, sweetpeas, viburnum, aconitum and whiteleaf foliage. The hit of colour worked wonderfully against the white of the marquee and her dress.

AUTUMN: RICH HUES IN SOMERSET

Café Au lait dahlias certainly have the wow factor and are huge in size compared to standard dahlias or even an average sized rose, as seen in this image. The dahlias are very delicate and have to be handled with great care. Dahlias are available from May through to October. Autumnal flowers and foliage colours are such a great colour combination. Also used in this design are spray roses, amaranthus, waxed apples, autumnal hydrangeas, beech and quercus. We loved working the warm, rich tones of autumn through these displays capturing that moment of the season much adored.

WINTER:

Roses are available throughout the year and there are so many wonderful varieties. For our Wild Wood bride Kate’s bridal bouquet we used Norma Jeane, Vendela and O’hara roses. The grey foliage is called kochia and we mixed this with eucalyptus which was slightly tinted in colour. I am not usually a fan of dyed flowers or foliage but I liked the subtle tones of the eucalyptus. For the centrepieces we used Colombian hydrangeas. Dutch hydrangeas are only available May- November. Colombian hydrangeas are available all year round in white, pale blue and pale pink. Alongside the hydrangeas are avalanche roses and corylus (they have a twig-like appearance) and a larger leafed eucalyptus foliage. These formal displays worked well within the grandeur of the building and the colours followed the cool tones of the season however due to the warm grey and pink, didn’t feel cold.

CHRISTMAS:

Magnolia is also a beautiful winter foliage. We used magnolia on this grand staircase at Christmas. The garlands consisted of magnolia, cones, eucalyptus and pine. Just by looking at the pictures, you can almost smell how amazing they were!

We'd love to speak to you about your wedding flowers so please do get in touch with our wedding planning team on 0207 228 6933.

Wednesday 01 November 2017

Over 300 guests were invited to an annual networking reception for a celebration of the client’s year. On arrival to the iconic Natural History Museum, our guests were welcomed with a champagne reception before revealing the impressive setting of Hintze Hall.

As well as the impressive architecture it was the venue’s chance to showcase their new star, Hope, the blue whale.

The vision for the event was to create a luxurious and stylish setting where guests could network and take in the new exhibits and surroundings of Hintze Hall.

To celebrate the brand, brand colours were subtly incorporated throughout lighting. This even included the exterior of the museum with a blue colour wash. Golborne used punchy blue lighting within the Hintze Hall combined with a projection of the clients’ logo.

The main attraction, Hope was lit in gold. As well as the arches projecting a striking gold pattern wash on the floor.

The floristry consisted of beautiful autumnal displays using rich reds, burnt oranges as well as lime greens to include winter Hydrangea, Gladys, orange lanterns and Birds of Paradise. Hintze Hall needs grandeur and high impact displays, therefore tall displays were best used. The staircase itself was scattered with led candles creating the most stunning backdrop to the stage.

Rhubarb Catering served a delicious menu of canapés and bowls as well as a striking ‘cheese of the future’ station. Glass and perspex displays housed exceptional cheeses from around the British Isles as liquid nitrogen filled the surrounding air.

For this event cocktail tables were clothed with beautiful golden linen and dressed with stunning wireless lamps. As well as poseurs, sofa seating and mirrored coffee tables were available from Velvet Living which looked stunning against the star cloth backdrop

Elixir, a contemporary string quartet performed uplifting tunes to backing tracks which created the perfect atmosphere. We feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to work in iconic London venues and to design and deliver our first event under Hope is one we will not forget in a hurry!